Everything You Need To Know About Proctoring for Certification Exams
Online and remote exam proctoring has been gaining traction in recent months, especially at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced in-person testing centers to close. And even with certain parts of the country slowly opening up, albeit with limited capacity, online proctoring is here to stay.
This article will discuss what online proctoring is, the different ways it is administered, and why more and more classrooms and testing centers are moving toward this method.
What is proctoring?
Proctoring – in the simplest sense – is supervising an exam. An authorized and unbiased person, the proctor, oversees the test and makes sure that the test-taker’s identity is correct. During the exam, the proctor’s role is to maintain the integrity of the test. The most familiar example of proctoring is when a teacher supervises a class examination.
When is proctoring needed?
The biggest use case for proctoring in the enterprise world is to deliver certification exams. This has been an industry standard for a long time, however most exams have taken place using classroom proctoring and only a limited number of exams have used online proctoring. Covid-19 has now driven online proctoring to become the dominant use case.
What is online and remote exam proctoring?
When exams are proctored online, a remote proctor uses software to administer the exam via desktop, webcam, and audio platforms. Similar to how traditional proctoring is done, the proctor verifies the identity of the test-taker, addresses any questions or clarifications from the participants, and observes whether any possible cheating is taking place (and if so, reports it).
All accomplished through secure technology, online and remote exam proctoring has become a go-to alternative for on-site exams. Proctoring for both online and on-site has a number of uses cases include:
- Industry certifications and credentials
- Corporate training certifications
- Government and state regulatory exams
- Pre-employment assessments
- Higher ed exams and quizzes
- K-12 exams and quizzes
Research shows that there is no perceivable difference in test-takers’ performance in exams whether done on-site or online. Studies also suggest that in online proctoring, cheating is less likely to occur.
Online and remote exam proctoring may come in three ways:
- Live online proctoring, where the proctor observes the test-taking environment and administers the exam in real-time using a webcam and shared screen.
- Recorded proctoring, where the test-taker’s screen is recorded and reviewed after the exam by the proctor.
- Automated proctoring, which monitors the remote exam using a shared screen, audio and video, all through Artificial Intelligence (AI). This is very similar to recorded proctoring; the only difference is the proctor reviews the video only when AI flags cheating or any suspicious activity.
Benefits and challenges of online proctoring vs in-person proctoring
While similar in nature, online and in-person proctoring each have pros and cons.
Online or remote test proctoring
Heavily relies on technology and requires the use of desktop, screenshare, video, and audio
Internet connection needs to be at a high speed
Management of data flow is through technology and electronic sources
Cons include the need for devices and high-speed internet connection, electronic exam needs to be tested prior to the test, may have false indication of cheating, still needs human intervention to review anomaly
In-person or on-site proctoring
Uses less technology (in fact use of devices are discouraged) and relies on human assistance, intervention, and administration
No internet required
Management of data is manual
Cons include human errors, subjective intervention, manual and time-consuming, more preparation required, i.e. materials, answer sheets may get lost, exam time duration may vary/be subjective
How can EduBrite help
EduBrite and ProctorU (a Measure Learning Company) have partnered together to provide our clients with online proctoring on exams. To set up the integration, you just need API login credentials provided by your admin portal in ProctorU. From there you can enable the app in EduBrite and then can proceed to creating an exam the way you usually would. Our team can help guide you through the complete process. Learners can perform all their activities related to certification exams within EduBrite platform. This provides a seamless experience for your learners while they’re using EduBrite.
Why EduBrite
EduBrite’s test management capabilities are highly robust and are used to create and delivery online assessments and exams for your learners.
Our certification exam authoring abd delivery features include:
- Setting up exam in EduBrite using 14 different question types
- Ability to randomize questions and choices
- Question pooling and question categorization
- Exam catalogs
- eCommerce to allow learners to purchase exams
- ProctorU Live+ integration allows:
- Scheduling and rescheduling exam time with a proctor from EduBrite
- Launching of exam with proctor from EduBrite
- Ability for proctor to flag the exam or allow it to complete successfully
- Recording of learner’s activities during the exams
- EduBrite awarding of certification exam upon successful completion
- Detailed reporting on the proctoring sessions
EduBrite is a full fledged LMS platform that integrates directly with ProctorU. Our LMS provides comprehensive learning capabilities - self-paced course delivery, instructor-led training sessions (classroom and virtual), knowledge base, ILT, FAQ, and microlearning via open-learning. This means you can provide your learners an entire learning experience starting from training, learning, knowledge check, certification, badging, certificate etc. from within EduBrite platform.
If you have a particular use case you’d like to know more about, feel free to fill out the contact us form to speak with us today!